When is Sir Jim Ratcliffe's first game at Man Utd?

Cameron Smith

• 20 Feb 2024 21:41 GMT
• 3 min read

Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s deal to acquire a minority stake at Manchester United has been officially confirmed by the club.

The British billionaire had been linked with replacing the Glazers as Man Utd owner, but he has settled for a smaller role at Old Trafford.

However, his influence on proceedings at Man Utd will be huge as Ratcliffe will oversee the management of Man Utd’s football operations, with the club confirming this via a statement on the website.

This role will include all footballing operations of the men’s, women’s and academy teams.

While Ratcliffe’s deal was agreed with Man Utd in December, the billionaire wasn't of much help during the January transfer window.

That is because the minority stake needed to be approved by the Premier League - a process that took several weeks.

As a result, Ratcliffe did not have full control of football operations during the winter window.

The INEOS chief will be in control of the club's summer business, however.

When will Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s first Man Utd game take place?

That is because the Premier League finally approved Ratcliffe's acquisition of a stake on 13 February. It was the first such deal to be given the green light by the league's new Independent Oversight Panel after wholesale changes in March 2023.

“Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s acquisition of 25 per cent of Manchester United FC, and further investment of $300million in the club, has been approved by the Premier League Board following the completion of the Owners’ and Directors’ Test (OADT)," an official statement read.

“The Board agreed to the change of the club’s ownership structure last week, and this has now been officially ratified by an Independent Oversight Panel. The Premier League’s Owners’ Charter has also been signed.

“This is the first acquisition of Control to be reviewed and approved by a new Independent Oversight Panel following changes to the process which were agreed by Premier League clubs in March 2023. The Premier League now awaits confirmation of the transaction’s completion.”

However, the deal wasn't officially completed until 20 February.

As a result, Ratcliffe’s first Man Utd game will be against Fulham at Old Trafford on 24 February.